To ask how you would spend your time if you had enough money not to need to work

[PuzzledObserver]

Let’s imagine you came into some money (doesn’t matter how, but legally), which put you in a position to pay off any debts and mortgage, buy a house outright if you don’t already own one, and provide you with a household income similar to what you currently have. Or more if you’re skint.

Basically, you have enough income to live comfortably, for the rest of your life, without needing to work.

Let’s assume you are healthy.

What would you spend your time doing?

I would set up a housing charity and work my ass off running it, I've moved 10 times in the last 6 years and now I truly know the value of a secure place to live and it is something too few of us have. I'd also go on a fine jewellery making course and then make all the fanciful treasures I desire, maybe travelling to ethically source stones and precious metals myself. And I would have tons and tons of therapy if I had the time and money.

I would volunteer to be a dog walker for local charity.
I would probably do a lot of baking and try and help out my elderly neighbours more

I would travel a lot. A city break every couple of months.

I would make jewellery (proper goldsmithing, with precious metals and gemstones). I’d have my own workshop and spend my days creating beautiful things.

I’d go to museums, visit heritage sites and go out to eat (a lady who lunches!).

I’d study, just for the fun of it. I started a law degree years ago; I’d like to finish that.

I’d go to the gym a lot.

Look after and take children out to lovely places. Once at school, be around for them before and after, and meanwhile and when theyre older volunteer, read, shop, see family and friends, eat out, exercise, travel and sleep! Learn a language. Swim. Beauty treatments. It would be amazing!

It's hard to imagine not wanting to earn more money to have nice holidays. So I'd work (in a similar role to my current one) two days a week

I need structure to my week so I'd spend some time volunteering, specifically teaching English to refugees and as a peer supporter for breastfeeding mums.

I'd cycle and swim a lot.

I would do some volunteering. I'd also read more and visit more places. If money was no obstacle I could never get bored.

More dogs, more sports, more everything that I like! I'd also volunteer and take time to perfect the local language.
It would be hard to give up work but not hard to give up the stress of mortgage and things.

No more paid work. Wouldn’t even go back in! Byeeeeez

Volunteering, travel, reading, studying.

I would do literally nothing. I'm happy at home, doing little.

Then I become party animal. Out with my friends. I'd host. Arrange. Then I'd retreat, for recuperation.
repeat ad infinitum.

Probably continue studying and get loads of degrees as I love learning and use the money to create awareness for certain issues/become an advocate or 'face' of something to raise awareness.

Volunteeer. Always fancied a charity shop so maybe that and something else.
Get into a habit of exercising every day.
Develop my hobbies more so I become better at them.
Enjoy my children and the blessing of being able to choose whether to be a stay at home parent or not.

currently on adoption leave (can’t go back to my job because the commute is too far with two pre-schoolers). We are in a very fortunate position due to DH having a good income. Just bought new house with big ‘garden’. I plan to set up loads of stuff for the kids to enjoy the new garden (mud kitchen, sand pit, swings etc. They couldn’t have this in our current garden) start up lots of veg, fruit and herb patches and adopt some animals (currently goats and chickens), at least until the kids are settled at school. Then I may go freelance or retrain, because I think I will have to go back to work at some point for my own sanity.

I would travel when the kids were older. Right now would do a big garden project. Also would like to do another degree in a subject I am just interested in rather than one leading to a career like I did before.

I'd run a second car so dh and I had freedom at the same time. I'd have more of the kids friends round after school.

I'd probably get a dog.

I'd go to the gym.

Travel, travel, travel and try to do something to make the world a better place to live in - not sure what as I have never dared properly to dream this dream! One day, one day...

Good question, I am in that situation. I have renovated the house. I do lots of cleaning. Recently taken up painting, never had a hobby before.

I would walk and swim every day. Walk to a swimming pool and walk home. I would take lots of train journeys and read lots of books. I would travel and volunteer overseas. I would write about my experiences. I would try to make a difference to the refugee crises around the world. I would volunteer with the homeless. I should do some of this anyway but time is so limited.

I’d do a cordon bleu cookery course, you know, the ones which cost 35k, and then spend my time cooking and baking. I’d happily give away the results to a food bank/homeless or just a family in need.

My answer would have been different in my 20s, 30s, and 40s - I'd have continued to work (PT) and used some money to pay for cleaning, cooking and all the 'household' stuff.
Now I have one eye on retirement, I'd just bring it forwards. there's so much I want to do when I retire, it would be helpful to bring it forwards 10 years.

Learn to play the saxophone
Exercise 4 or 5 times a week
I'd spend about 2 years doing all the jobs I never get round to doing (eg sorting out all the photos), generally decluttering the house
Travel (within UK - there are so many places I've not been yet), as well as to other countries.
Have more time to do the volunteering stuff that keeps building up
Spend more time visiting elderly friends in Nursing homes
There's 3 or 4 other volunteering things I'd like to start soon.

oh, there's just so much

I'd study, I'd love to do a Masters Degree.

I'd potter about in book shops and museums.

House would be lovely and tidy, I could cook from scratch more (lies) and generally swan about loving life.

I certainly wouldn't work if I didn't have to. I'd love to work just 3/4 days a week, that extra day or two would make a huge difference to me. If only!

I'd get a dog and go out for long walks every day. I'd travel, except DD is still at school, so the traveling would have to be school holidays for quite a few years yet.

I'd definitely join the gym and go enough to justify the cost.

I'd not be doing housework though, I would get a cleaner.

I'd do more volunteering. I currently run a Brownies pack and I'd do more stuff for them, like doing more days out and sleepovers etc.

For a while I'd do a lot of sleeping, reading, MN and watching TV, purely because I don't have much time for that while working. That's the sort of thing I do in the holidays now (I'm a teacher), but I know I'd get bored within a few weeks without some sort of project to keep me entertained.

Exercising, gardening, cooking and baking and reading.

I’m assuming Id be a multi millionaire.
Take a sabbatical from work
Buy a bigger house near me & renovate
Buy a home by the sea with sea views & renovate for weekend escapes.
Spend summer cruising around the Med on a hired yacht.
In general I would do a lot of travel & try to visit destinations at key times so cherry blossom season in Japan etc
Learn new skills eg surfing
Either go back to work or start my own business.

oh & employ a chef & a PT who drags me out of bed & downstairs to my new gym in new house.

I would travel alot with my dp and dd, enjoy spending as much time as possible with my dd before she goes to school, and I would go back to college to study catering and start my own Greek food van. So random and weird but it's my dream to start this business lol